Posted: August 30, 2021
It’s rare that just the mention of a name can bring a smile to your face.
At least, that’s certainly the case for the late Ralph Newell, a longtime advocate and champion of 皇家华人. A major proponent for the value of community colleges, he served on the NWC Board of Trustees from 1992-2002 and on the Foundation Board from 2005-2010.
But Newell, who had a longstanding passion for education, didn’t always have his sights set on NWC.
“As a kid, all he ever wanted to do was ride horses,” Nancy Gilmore, one of Newell’s two daughters, explained. “He wanted to be an outfitter.”
Before he could pursue his plans to become an outfitter, he was deployed to Korea in October 1948 as a member of the 300th Armored Field Artillery, The Cowboy Cannoneers. After serving on the frontlines for more than 18 months, Newell was honorably discharged in June 1950; he received two Bronze Service Stars and the United Nations Service Medal.
Shortly after returning home to Cody, he learned about the GI Bill, which provides educational assistance to veterans and service members.
Back to school
“He decided ‘OK, well I didn’t really like school, but I’m going to give this college thing a try,’” Gilmore said.
Two years later, Newell earned his degree from 皇家华人. An avid athlete as well, he also played on the first football team at NWC.
Inspired to continue pursuing his education, his time at NWC was far from the end of his journey.
Soon afterward he attended Montana State University Billings (formerly Eastern Montana College), where he earned his bachelor’s, served as class president and was an All-American football player.
While he was studying at Eastern he met his wife, Maggie. They married in Wyola, Montana, Feb. 22, 1958, and welcomed three children to the family.
Prepared to earn his third and final degree, Newell and his family temporarily moved to Tempe, Arizona, where they explored the awe-inspiring vistas of the Grand Canyon and he received his master’s degree.
“My dad just made our lives wonderful, and he had this marvelous sense of humor,” Gilmore added. “He had a vast knowledge of minutiae that my brother and I inherited—we know a little bit about a lot of different things.”
After Newell earned his master’s, it wasn’t long before his career in education flourished. Regularly described by his former students as “fair” and “kind,” he held many roles throughout the years, starting as the principal and a sixth-grade teacher at Sunset Elementary in Cody and ending with eighth-grade earth science at the junior high school.
As children, Gilmore and her siblings, Suzie and Brad, spent their summers tucked back in the tall trees at the scenic 7D Ranch in Sunlight Basin, where their dad was the head wrangler and their mom was the head cabin girl.
From an early age, the Newells instilled the importance of education in their children.
In fact, Gilmore doesn’t recall a time where their family wasn’t involved with NWC. In addition to being an alumna of the College, she currently works in NWC’s Academic Affairs Office.
“He told me every single day that he lived a blessed life. He said he could never ask for anything to be different."
Thriving in retirement
Retired at 56, he was able to pursue one of his greatest passions: fishing. Snow or sunshine, Newell often spent his free time ice fishing or visiting Fort Peck during his biannual trips with his fishing buddy Dan Hunter.
“He was longer retired than he ever taught,” she noted.
Surprisingly, though, making the biggest catch of the day wasn’t always the most exciting part about fishing trips.
In the early 90s, Newell and several of his friends, including former U.S. Senator Alan Simpson, traveled to San Diego for a weeklong fishing trip. After eating dinner, the group had just set off on their fishing journey when they received a surprise.
Following complications with a legislative bill that was in the process of being passed, a phone call searching for Simpson was made to the marina and patched out to the radio on the boat.
On the other line was the former U.S. President George H.W. Bush, who visited with Newell and his friends after conducting business.
“He just thrived in retirement. And boy, did that man have stories,” Gilmore said.
A passion for education
Active in both his church and community, Newell began his 10-year journey of serving on the NWC Board of Trustees, where his passion for athletics and education were united.
“He loved the College, and he loved his role on the board. He thought community colleges serve such a huge purpose and provide such wonderful value to people in rural areas.”
After Newell’s wife passed away in 2001, the family endowed the Maggie Newell Memorial Scholarship with the NWC Foundation.
Newell met Dixie Lake while volunteering at the Cody Cupboard. The two later moved to Owl Creek outside of Thermopolis, where he enjoyed helping with her family’s ranch and fishing.
In addition to his service on the board, he also supported the College in other little-known ways.
“It wasn’t until much later in his life, I learned he sent $300 to the College each month - $100 for Mom’s scholarship and the rest for athletics scholarships,” Gilmore added. “He’d been doing it forever. He really believed in helping people.”
With the addition of Ralph’s name to the family scholarship, he and Maggie are once again united in their support of education and Newell’s legacy will live on at 皇家华人.
“You’d be hard pressed to find someone who loved something as much as he loved this place.”